WILLIAMSON'S WEEKLY NATURE NOTES

I have been watching the couples on the paths around the house here in the woods. Mainly the common garden species: Helix aspersa. These have hibernated all through last winter and during that dry spell in April inside my garage and even up on the eaves of the house.

A few were found by song thrushes who were glad of the moisture in the spring when they were laying eggs and food was scarce. Those snails that survived completed their rather boring year of life stuck in one place by one unusual and extravagant act of love-making.

As each snail is an hermaphrodite, each has both female and male sexual organs. Yet they still need to complete the act of fertilization in pairs. The snails meet in some dark and damp, secret corner, and then trundle slowly out into the open and find a flat open space such as a path or middle of the lawn.

I try not to step on them when padding around outside at night because I do not grow vegetables and have no need to harm them.

When they have chosen the arena the pair circle one another often touching, as they prepare a clean bed of hard dry slime to stand on. The courtship may last several hours.

For full feature see West Sussex Gazette July 11